There's not been much news from us lately, but don't let that fool
you. There has been a bustle of feverish activity going on behind the
scenes here at the Electric Castle. With this update from
ArjenLucassen.com we're excited to officially announce the details of
Arjen's new project, Guilt Machine.

As Ayreon fans have come to expect from Arjen, the music of Guilt Machine
ranges from dark and heavy to atmospheric and melancholic. But Guilt
Machine introduces some new twists as well, particularly when it comes
to the vocals. Rather than putting together an ensemble cast of
vocalists from the prog, rock and metal scene, Arjen has enlisted the
talents of a single alternative rock vocalist, Jasper Steverlinck.

How did Arjen get an alternative rock vocalist to switch genres and sing on a prog rock project? "In
the beginning it was hard to convince Jasper to sing on this album,
because he comes from a completely different musical background. He
didn't even know what prog was, but we've made a believer out of him!
What I admire about Jasper's voice, besides its beautiful clear timbre,
is the emotion and credibility he puts into his performance and his
enormous range. Because this project features just one singer I needed
someone versatile enough to portray all of the different moods, and
Jasper didn't disappoint. And he's a really nice and dedicated guy as
well!"

For Guilt Machine Arjen also chose to record with a different drummer, Chris Maitland (ex Porcupine Tree). "Chris
was the ideal choice this time, having both the power for the heavy
sections and the subtle touch needed in the more atmospheric parts."

Rather
than the explicit storyline you would expect in an Ayreon release, the
songs of Guilt Machine revolve around a central theme. Instead of
looking outward into a world of fantasy or science fiction, the songs
look inward, exploring the destructive psychology of guilt, regret and
the darkest form of secret -- the secrets we hide from ourselves. "At first I asked my partner and personal manager Lori
to quickly write scratch lyrics for one of the songs so I could record
some guide vocals. I was so impressed by what she produced that I asked
her to write the lyrics for all the songs. I was unable myself to
create the type of darkly enigmatic, open-ended lyrics I wanted for
these songs, my specialty being sci-fi lyrics about sinister aliens ;-)
She definitely gave the songs an extra dimension with her lyrics,
exorcising the demons we both had faced in the past few years. It's
also no secret that I've always been a big fan of her melodic guitar
style, so she also plays all the guitar solos on this album."

Despite these differences, Guilt Machine still has much in common
with Ayreon. The songs are mainly long, "epic" tracks that feature
dynamic contrasts between softer, dreamy sections and powerful, heavy
passages. There are intricate harmonies, complex rhythms, soaring
melodies, and an eclectic selection of instruments -- all what you'd
expect from an Ayreon release.

"In my view this is my
best side project so far. It comes completely from the heart, for it
was written and recorded during a new inspiring phase in my life after
my heavy depression. This being an entirely new project there were no
expectations whatsoever, which enabled me to just let my inspiration
guide me without any (outside) pressure."

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for music previews and other updates about Guilt Machine!

Great to see Guilt Machine as part of PA. The release of the first album is imminent. Not so great is that someone has already rated this album at 5 stars. I am not away of any leaks on the net for the new album or can someone correct me on that? Anyway, it appears that some members have to be in first with a rating - whether they have heard the album in full or not. I wonder is there any way to stop these rogue ratings until after an album is officially released???

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